Podcast: Music and the brain

Is music just "auditory cheescake" or can it provide deep insights into the workings of the brain and the evolution of language? From the New Zealand haka to raves and dancing birds, James Randerson investigates

Science Weekly takes on evolutionary psychologist Stephen Pinker's idea that music is merely "auditory cheesecake" - pleasant on the ear but ultimately not much use.

In our Music and the Brain special, James Randerson and the team discuss why music evolved, how it is linked to language, how it is understood by the brain and its uses in therapy.

Dr Ian Cross talks about the way music acts as a social tool. Dr Eric Clark at Oxford University tells us why dance music has such a profound effect on a club full of revellers. And Paul Robertson, founder and leader of the Medici String Quartet explains how music can communicate subtle ideas and help people with Alzheimer's disease.